Linux marks 35 years since Linus Torvalds' hobby project

The Linux operating system marks 35 years since its inception. Originally announced in August 1991 by then-student Linus Torvalds via a Usenet post, the project was described at the time as a free “hobby” operating system for 386/486 AT clones that would not be “big and professional like GNU.”

Since that modest beginning, the Linux kernel has evolved from approximately 10,000 lines of code to over 40 million lines. Driven by an open-source, collaborative development model, it has become a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. Today, Linux powers 100% of the world’s top 500 supercomputers, nearly 80% of web servers, and serves as the foundation for the Android mobile operating system, which is used on billions of devices.

The project's success is attributed to its collaborative nature and the adoption of the GNU GPL license, which ensures that improvements made by developers and corporations are returned to the main project. This model has allowed Linux to scale from a personal experiment to a global standard used in everything from data centers and smart TVs to automotive systems and IoT devices.